Historical Film Movement Film Noir as the Forerunner of the Present- Essay

Historical Film Movement Film Noir as the Forerunner of the Present-day Crime and Action Movies - Essay Example He presented a different kind of suspense thriller and was the first to attract attention from French film critics. His films presented the audience the flaws of the characters. He created the first psychological thrillers, one of them was Psycho, released in the 1960s. Psycho is based on the story of a serial killer named Ed Gein who was featured in a novel by Robert Bloch (1998). The term ‘psycho’ refers to the psychological state of a criminal, or someone who has committed or is about to commit a crime without consciously knowing it. Movies based on serial killing have been popular, but in the 60s, there were a few serial killings, one of these was perpetrated by the notorious Ed Gein (also one of the inspirations for the character of Hannibal Lector). Hitchcock bought the rights to the novel for $9,000.00. We can see at the start of the movie the use of shadows and windows. Marion and Sam peer out of the window through the blinds. Some other props used are stuffed birds’ shadows as they loom over Marion as she eats, and the perpetrator of the killing – the ‘mother’ – is seen in only shadows. Mirrors are used, reflecting the character Marion as she packs, later her face in the policeman’s sunglasses, and her hands as she counts out the money. Janet Leigh’s character Marion Crane is an effectively realized character, one who shares similarities with Norman Bates. Both are on the run – she, literally, from her past, and Norman from the present and future – and both have secrets. Marion’s secret has to do with the contents of her purse which contains a stack of bills that belong to her boss. Norman’s secret concerns the contents of his house, a spooky old hilltop mansion overlooking the Bates Motel in which Norman’s long-dead mother continues to reside, barking orders and hurling insults at her wayward son. One of the memorable scenes of Psycho is the shower scene which became controversial during Hitchcock’s time, but for which earned him the reputation as the maker of valuable film noirs.